The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-19

tbs PLAN IN GkOkGIA.
REVIEW FOR 4 YEAR OF PRO.
AlBIrl0N IN Alfalfa.
Business Men In Favor Of the Con.
tinuance OF the Law for a
Variety Of Reasons.

county lwhicn includeB Atlanta), held
the election which resulted In prohi.
bition, provides that sitor prohibition
has been carried In any county no
after election on the subj oct shall b @
held within two years. A year and
half has now past since the election
was held here, and In six months OF
course another may be held. More.
over, the law has now been In opera.
ton q year-one-balf the nesesssry
period. A sort Of mile post In the
prohibition experiment has therefore
now Just been reached, and the cub.
iect, which has for two or three years
at all times been prominent Is for this
reason now little more prominent
than usual. Each side Is reviewing
THE TEAR UNDER PROHIBITION.
There is the greater significance to
this because the success or the failure
Of the experiment In Atlanta will
very largely determine the success or
the failure Of the whole State expert.
ment, so far as II has gone. There Is
the same conflicting testimony here az
to the value Of the law that there Is in
every other city that has tried pro-
hibiiion, but thsre is not the least
doubt that the prohibition eide
has gained popular strength, and
gained greatly since II won the day by
q narrow margin year and q half
sgo. One reason that II bas gained
strength Is because to q certain degree
the prohibitionisls are 20 strong and
they hold In theii hands card, 80 we'll
politically packed that the politicians
are sffaid TO oppose the csuse openly
The work has beea carrie beyond
that point which the prohibitionis,s
In most casee have reached aud
stopped-the point where member
ship in the party was, In the IN lre
worldly circles OF tociety, evidence OF
former inebriety, OF qusckery or OF
crsnkiem.
PRoHisIrIos HERE 10 RESPECTABLE.
The solid business men OF the city
many Of whom, by the way, take their
groe-are generally strongly In favor
OF the continuance OF the law for Q
variety OF ressons. R1me maintain
that the business Of the city has been
made better. This, OF course, is vigor-
ously denied by Others. Some who
say that while men will and ought 10
drink liquor, aud are not at bottom In
favor ola cast iron prohibiiory Law
for the whole country, have become
convinced that the oloing Of the low
giosgeries IL 90 excellent q thing that
they are willing 10 sacrifice what they
once regarded - their objection 70
"sumptuary legislation" for the prac-
ticsl good. There 10 q very great
probability that an election like the
forthcoming Texas election, or Q Law
like the Maine Law, would be very
vigorously opposed In Atlanta. The
local option method Of trying PROFIT.
bition by counties and for q limited
period OF time has won a. its ffiends
men whom sweeping and perpetual
Law could never win. For this reason
the
"ounRoIA rLAs" IL UNIQUE.
For Instance, . ka'ioral Prohibition
ticket In 1885 will not ct anything
like ~ many votes In Georgia ~ the
local option cause has got here. The
Ssts will still be Democratic. II is
not that hind OF prohibition. Bui the
purpose OF the speculation that now
engages attention 10 ~ 10 ths future
of the local prohibition In this coun.
try and In Georgia. Unl,ss all signs
Tall the chances are decidedly In
iavor OF the continuance Of the Law,
81 least for sometime to ,me, over
great part Of the State. II has been
accu aiely described asa
Rich s,s's Law,
directed against the poor man. Al leas,
this 10 trH- from one point OF view. A
"dch" man In q prohibition county
can get greg; In some he can buy II by
the qnat without any trouble. But
the poor man who can afford 10 buy II
only by the drink 10 the man who ia
generally "ltft." Ths effort has been
made W arouse sympatby flr ihe poor
g'og drinker. But u has not been nc
successful a. Il was expected 10 b..
There are coming county battles 20 he
fought, bat the chsnoss la most Of
them are decidedly In favor Of the
Pfohiblhouirs. Toe Weky Cdnaihs
isoa--the daily Of which hs been, II
not hcstle, certainly boi friendly In q
partisan way 10 prohibltiog-hn
caused something OF een,a.ion
throughout the State by q long -yiuv
OF the year under the law, which con.
oludes with the confession Il q. "our
experience has demonstrated 10 M
beyond q doubt tba, city Of 10000
inhabitants can get along and advance
ata solid and constant rate xilhou.
the liquor trafiio." Throughout the
State
TIE STATUTE or rRoHIBIrios
now 10 a follow: One huadred and
fifteen out Of 1877 counties are under
prohibition. Among those that are
not is Chatham county, In which 80.
vannah 10 situstsd. There are eish.
teen counties, mostly Ia the southern
portion OF the stats, whore prohibl
lion 10 scared by the local authorities
placing the license Zee 90 high that no
one can Afford 10 pay II. Po' Instance,
Tstnali county charge, $500, Berrisn
$4,000, Charlton 1900, Pu'nam $4,000,
aud Ware $1,000. This 10 hi. h
license carried 10 q prohibltary point,
and 10 not, properly speaking, the
"Georgla plan"
rHr eRcarr or rHr rRonIBfrrosnrs'
suocese In the other counties has been
the chance the plan gives ri every
step Tor the people who ara immedi.
a,ely concernsd TO do ~ they wish.
II 10 the principle Of homo rule and
local government applied 10 the liquor
hsific. u will require eight or ten
yean 10 prove conclusiysly the per.
manenoe Of the success OF the plan ~
. lie failure. In that time there will b.
fluctuations In counties. Some dry"
once will become wet again and
vice versa; AMI within that time II eau
be seen how much Of the present sue,
oess IL due 10 more htiul sgitstion.
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